mebine



J. G. MERIN'E;

Fruit-Picker.

No. 224,936. Patenfed Feb. 24, 1880.

% i ENTOR V ATTORNEY WITNESSES v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN U. MERINE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHTTO L. P. SWAYNE, OF SAME PLACE.

.FRUlT-PICKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 224,936, dated February24, 1880.

' Application filed October 25, 1879.

To all whom it mag concern Be it known that I, JOHN G. MERlNE, of KansasCity, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented anew and 5 valuable Improvement in Fruit-Pickers; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of theconstruction and operation of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a perspective view of myimproved fruitpicker, and Fig. 2 is a detail view of the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class offruit-pickers which are composed of two jaws which can be moved to andfrom each other, and it has forits object to prevent the jaws from beingso forcibly closed after separating the fruit as to bind together, whichwould prevent the retractile spring employed forautomatical] y openingsaid jaws from properly performing its operation.

To this end the invention consists in the combination, with the jaws ofa fruit-picker, of a pivoted cam-shaped stop, whereby the movement ofthe jaws toward each other is limited, the said stop being adapted to beturned upon its pivot to bring the cam portion nearer to or farther fromthe opposite jaw, as more fully hereinafterspecified.

In the annexed drawings, the letters A A designate, respectively, thefixed and swinging jaws of my improved fruit-picker. These arebasket-like structures of cast metal, in their general'constructiongreatly resembling "a hood; and they consist, mainly, of asemicircularbasepiece, a, anarehed front plate, b, and curved bars 0, connecting thesame.

Upon the lower edges of the base-pieces a are formed eyes at for theattachment of a flexible cloth tube, that conducts the fruit to theground.

Projecting downward from the bar a of the 5 jaw Ais a tang, a, by meansof which it is secured to the pole B.

The upper part of the plate I; of jaw A is horizontal. It projectssomewhat beyond the rest of the jaw, and is provided with angularserrations 1). The corresponding part of jaw A has a straightcutting-edge, c, which, when the jaws are brought together, overlaps theserrated part b of the jaw A, and forms therewith a draw-cut.

Projecting from the bottom of the jaw A, at each side thereof, is anangular lever-arm,

0, having at its bend a circular enlargement, d through which passes apivot, e, by means of which the jaw A is hinged to an offset, g,

of jaw A. The power ends of these levers extend beyond the jaw A, andare connected together by a swinging bail, D, to which the draw-cord Dis secured. This cord passes downthrough eyes f on the pole, the saideyes serving to prevent the cord from becoming entangled in the branchesof the tree.

S indicates a spring secured at one end to a stud, s, of the jaw A, nearits top, and at its lower end to a stud, s, of the lever-arm O, situatednear the pivot 0 upon the power-arm side thereof. This spring isdistended when the jaws are closed to sever the stem of a fruit, andcauses the said jaws to separate when the pull-cord is let go. I

G indicates an adjustable cam-shaped stop pivoted to the under side ofthe cutting part 2 of the jaw A, against which the cutting part d of jawA abuts when the apparatus is in use, and which prevents the said jawsfrom becoming jammed together from theirbeing 8o brought too sharply andforcibly together. The stop, being cam-shaped, can be adjusted, byturning it upon its pivot, so as to allow the jaws to approach more orless toward each other as the cam portion of the stop is made toapproach or recede from the opposite jaw, and thus compensate for thewear of metal attendant upon use or frequent sharpening.

I do not claim an adjustable stop, broadly, in combination with the jawsof a fruit-picker, as such is not new; but

What I do claim is In a fruit-picker, the combination, with the fixedjaw A, having a serrated cutting-edge,

b, and the jaw A, having the straight out ting-edge c, overlapping edgeb, of the camshaped stop G upon the under side of the cutting-edge 0,adapted to be adjusted so as to permit the jaws to approach each otherto a greater or less extent, as may be desired, I00

substantially as and for the purposes specified. In testimony that Iclaim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence oftwo witnesses.

JOHN G. Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. LANDOLT, JAMES W. VAIL.

